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n n The independent voice of students at Utah Valley State f MONDAY'DECEMBER 52005 WWW.NETXNEWS.NET VOLUME XXXIV' NO. XV ' ; Why is she smiling? 525,600 reasons to watch Being Norm Nielsen " I Coach Cathy Nixon and her squad, Is the movie version of Rent worth seeing? Decide Get inside the head of community , won the most important game in for yourself, by reading Michelle Walker's member Norm Nielsen and find out - " " C, ' the programs history last week. review in Life on A9. what changes he hopes to see on Read the story on A 12. campus. Read it on A5 ; t clhsiinige Dim Uganda r t,. John Ditzler Exeutive Editor Chairperson of the Ugandan Democratic Party, Kiwanuka Lawrence Nser-ekol and the party's Publicity Secretary Emmanuel Ssensulike, visited UVSC in an effort to raise American awareness about the current socio-political challenges facing the people of Uganda. Nserekol is a political refugee in this country, living in New York since 1995, where he has been working to further peace and democratic reform in his home country of Uganda. He works from NY because he feels it is still unsafe for him to return home, and tells the story of how his father was killed in Uganda in retaliation for the son's political activism. Nserekol is asking UVSC students to educate themselves about the challenges Africans, and particularly Ugandans, currently face as the country is torn apart by warfare, and a thousand people a week die from starvation. "The difference between Uganda and North Korea and Red China is just a matter of International exposure, the evils in Uganda have just not been as exposed as the evils in North Korea and in China," Nserekol said. Nserekol described Ugandas Internally Displaced Persons Camps, "where the government, under the guise of fighting the so-called rebels, has removed citizens from their communities and placed them in what I personally call concentration camps." "Uganda has been a one party state for the last twenty years up to a couple of months ago when through court action, brought about largely by the Democratic Party of Uganda, the political space was opened for other parties," Nserekol said. "But the environment is still hostile." "The United States is the biggest foreign government funding regimes in Africa, we think it's important that people in this country get to know what is going on over there and around the world and talk to their representatives, because at the end of the day it's a very small world," Nserekol said. "Whatever happens to us, affects you, and vice versa." Nserekol estimates that there are currently about five legitimate political parties in Uganda although he says there are 24 political par- we V ties registered. "These think, are red herring political organizations that the government has registered for the sole purpose of con fusing the general population," Nserekol said. j "Years ago, the govern- ! ment formed two red her- ring political parties to run in the elections," Nserekol said. "By doing so, they assured that whoever won, the current government would still be in power. By doing this they also gave their reign a false air of legitimacy." Nserekol is urging the international -4 See UGANDA -A3 Courtesy PhotoDPUSA ABOVE: Ugandan children in InternallyDisplaced-Per-son Camps, where according to a UN report released in August, 1000 people are dying of starvation each week. DPUSA Chair Nserkel calls these relocation camps "concentration camps", saying children are recruited against their will by soldiers and women and young girls are systematically raped. "The difference between Uganda and North Korea and Red China is just a matter of international exposure, the evils in Uganda have just not been as exposed as the evils in North Korea and in China." Kiwanuka Lawrence Nserekol Uganda Democratic Party L Is The War Justified? c o o o G 90 -1 80-j-70 4-60-U-50 4-40 4-30 4-20 i-10 4-0n Justified Unjustified Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Class Seniors Jon Long News Writer In 2003, America sent armed forces into Iraq. When the war began initial support was largely in favor of war, but today support has dropped and a call to return troops home has been high across the nation.Douglas L. Thompson, a math instructor at UVSC, had his students survey 930 day time undergraduate students from both BYU campus in Provo and UVSC's campus in Orem on their opinions of the War in Iraq today and what direction it should follow in the future. The survey showed that about 75 percent of the students polled believe that the United States was justified initially to send armed forces into Iraq. Thompson said he expects this figure to be much higher than the national average, though he has not seen any national figures that would allow an "apples to apples comparison". When asked whether the U.S. should immediately withdraw its troops only 16 percent of students polled believed that the U.S. should immediately withdraw all troops, in comparison with a national survey that show 53 percent of the American people believe that the U.S. should bring home the troops as soon as possible, the survey was conducted by Ras-mussen Reports on October 25, 2005. This is the first time that a majority of Americans have held this view since the wars start in 2003, reported Rasmussen. The trend in opinion nation wide has changed since the initial start of the war, but here in Utah Valley student support for the war remains high, overall only 19 percent of surveyed students have changed their mind about the justification of the war. An interesting comparison is that 38 percent have changed their mind in favor of the war and staying the course, which is in opposite view of the national opinion. Thompson wondered if a high percent ofout-of-state students came to school with opinions closer to the norm and had their opinions affected by the conservative nature of Utah County. There is how ever a varying significance in those undergraduates surveyed. Thompson's students broke down the survey's question pertaining to the sentiment towards the war and its justification into student classes. The graph showed that freshmen held a higher percentage of approval for the war then seniors, the graph illustrates that sentiment declines in students with the rise of each grade. Although nationally the sentiment is to return the troops home as soon as possible the feeling to stay the course and true to the goal of democracy that was shown to the Iraq people resides high at both the UVSC campus and the BYU campus here in Utah County. The survey conducted was part of a class assignment by students currently attending UVSC. The survey margin sampling error of 3 and a margin of error for changed opinions is 1-1. UVSC adds four new degrees Jon Long News Writer A billboard outside of north Orem advertises Utah Valley State as having 44 degrees and rising. This is an ad pitch for the current number of bachelor's degrees offered; they might have to repaint it. The school that is on a mission to modernize the existing campus, and marching towards university status, has just approved proposals for four more degrees to be added to the schools curriculum. The addition of bachelor's degrees in Information Systems, Theatrical Arts for the Stage and Screen, Theatrical Arts Education and Forensic Science would bring the total number of degrees offered to 48. With the addition of the four new degrees faculty in both theater and information systems departments expect a rise in the number of enrollment to both departments. The increased enrollment will bring more tuition to help pay for the extra cost of the degrees addition would require. Although many of the courses the degrees would require are already offered here at UVSC, but as of now only as electives. The current degrees offered at Utah Valley State have been comprehensive and have attracted a lot of would-be students to the school, such as the nursing and aviation programs already offered to students. Degrees and opportunities that have attracted a significant number of students from other parts of Utah as well as a number of out of state and foreign exchange students to the campus. With the administration's plan to add the proposed Digital Learning Center and revamp the look of Utah Valley State campus, including new buildings and adding to existing ones, the administration is setting its sights on university status. When compared to 15 other schools, Utah Valley State has been doing homework on what it will take to achieve its goal of university status, which would require the school to offer beginning graduate programs. The new degrees under proposal to be offered in the future would broaden the choices offered in the fields of theater and information systems. Current students attending the school would have more incentive to stay and future students looking to study in the new fields would be more attracted to the school. As the school moves forward in these efforts, Utah See DEGREES -A2 Former UVSC instructor admits sexually abusing SLCC student Vegor Pedersen News Writer After nearly two years of delays, a former UVSC instructor finally pleaded guilty to charges of attempted forcible sex abuse in a case involving a Salt lake Community College student. Roger Wilkins, who at the time of his arrest in February 2004 was splitting his time between SLCC and working as an adjunct faculty member in UVSC's American Sign Language program, was facing charges of attempted rape and forcible sodomy in a trial that was supposed to begin this week. Deputy Utah County At torney Donna Kelly said that a trial would no longer be needed because Wilkins was willing to plead guilty to lesser charges. "It's a very good resolution," Kelly said to reporters last week. Last year Wilkins' arrest prompted many on campus to question why a convicted sex offender was allowed to work at UVSC. Twelve years ago Wilkins had been convicted of a misdemeanor involving a young boy, and at the time of his hire his history was available on the Utah Sex Offender Registry. Now that Wilkins has admitted to these amended charges there is a possibility that he will not serve any Courtesy PhotoDept of Corrections Former UVSC instructor Roger Wilkins. time in prison for his crimes. Kelly plans to recommend 60 days of jail time. Wilkins is scheduled to be sentenced in February.

n n The independent voice of students at Utah Valley State f MONDAY'DECEMBER 52005 WWW.NETXNEWS.NET VOLUME XXXIV' NO. XV ' ; Why is she smiling? 525,600 reasons to watch Being Norm Nielsen " I Coach Cathy Nixon and her squad, Is the movie version of Rent worth seeing? Decide Get inside the head of community , won the most important game in for yourself, by reading Michelle Walker's member Norm Nielsen and find out - " " C, ' the programs history last week. review in Life on A9. what changes he hopes to see on Read the story on A 12. campus. Read it on A5 ; t clhsiinige Dim Uganda r t,. John Ditzler Exeutive Editor Chairperson of the Ugandan Democratic Party, Kiwanuka Lawrence Nser-ekol and the party's Publicity Secretary Emmanuel Ssensulike, visited UVSC in an effort to raise American awareness about the current socio-political challenges facing the people of Uganda. Nserekol is a political refugee in this country, living in New York since 1995, where he has been working to further peace and democratic reform in his home country of Uganda. He works from NY because he feels it is still unsafe for him to return home, and tells the story of how his father was killed in Uganda in retaliation for the son's political activism. Nserekol is asking UVSC students to educate themselves about the challenges Africans, and particularly Ugandans, currently face as the country is torn apart by warfare, and a thousand people a week die from starvation. "The difference between Uganda and North Korea and Red China is just a matter of International exposure, the evils in Uganda have just not been as exposed as the evils in North Korea and in China," Nserekol said. Nserekol described Ugandas Internally Displaced Persons Camps, "where the government, under the guise of fighting the so-called rebels, has removed citizens from their communities and placed them in what I personally call concentration camps." "Uganda has been a one party state for the last twenty years up to a couple of months ago when through court action, brought about largely by the Democratic Party of Uganda, the political space was opened for other parties," Nserekol said. "But the environment is still hostile." "The United States is the biggest foreign government funding regimes in Africa, we think it's important that people in this country get to know what is going on over there and around the world and talk to their representatives, because at the end of the day it's a very small world," Nserekol said. "Whatever happens to us, affects you, and vice versa." Nserekol estimates that there are currently about five legitimate political parties in Uganda although he says there are 24 political par- we V ties registered. "These think, are red herring political organizations that the government has registered for the sole purpose of con fusing the general population," Nserekol said. j "Years ago, the govern- ! ment formed two red her- ring political parties to run in the elections," Nserekol said. "By doing so, they assured that whoever won, the current government would still be in power. By doing this they also gave their reign a false air of legitimacy." Nserekol is urging the international -4 See UGANDA -A3 Courtesy PhotoDPUSA ABOVE: Ugandan children in InternallyDisplaced-Per-son Camps, where according to a UN report released in August, 1000 people are dying of starvation each week. DPUSA Chair Nserkel calls these relocation camps "concentration camps", saying children are recruited against their will by soldiers and women and young girls are systematically raped. "The difference between Uganda and North Korea and Red China is just a matter of international exposure, the evils in Uganda have just not been as exposed as the evils in North Korea and in China." Kiwanuka Lawrence Nserekol Uganda Democratic Party L Is The War Justified? c o o o G 90 -1 80-j-70 4-60-U-50 4-40 4-30 4-20 i-10 4-0n Justified Unjustified Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Class Seniors Jon Long News Writer In 2003, America sent armed forces into Iraq. When the war began initial support was largely in favor of war, but today support has dropped and a call to return troops home has been high across the nation.Douglas L. Thompson, a math instructor at UVSC, had his students survey 930 day time undergraduate students from both BYU campus in Provo and UVSC's campus in Orem on their opinions of the War in Iraq today and what direction it should follow in the future. The survey showed that about 75 percent of the students polled believe that the United States was justified initially to send armed forces into Iraq. Thompson said he expects this figure to be much higher than the national average, though he has not seen any national figures that would allow an "apples to apples comparison". When asked whether the U.S. should immediately withdraw its troops only 16 percent of students polled believed that the U.S. should immediately withdraw all troops, in comparison with a national survey that show 53 percent of the American people believe that the U.S. should bring home the troops as soon as possible, the survey was conducted by Ras-mussen Reports on October 25, 2005. This is the first time that a majority of Americans have held this view since the wars start in 2003, reported Rasmussen. The trend in opinion nation wide has changed since the initial start of the war, but here in Utah Valley student support for the war remains high, overall only 19 percent of surveyed students have changed their mind about the justification of the war. An interesting comparison is that 38 percent have changed their mind in favor of the war and staying the course, which is in opposite view of the national opinion. Thompson wondered if a high percent ofout-of-state students came to school with opinions closer to the norm and had their opinions affected by the conservative nature of Utah County. There is how ever a varying significance in those undergraduates surveyed. Thompson's students broke down the survey's question pertaining to the sentiment towards the war and its justification into student classes. The graph showed that freshmen held a higher percentage of approval for the war then seniors, the graph illustrates that sentiment declines in students with the rise of each grade. Although nationally the sentiment is to return the troops home as soon as possible the feeling to stay the course and true to the goal of democracy that was shown to the Iraq people resides high at both the UVSC campus and the BYU campus here in Utah County. The survey conducted was part of a class assignment by students currently attending UVSC. The survey margin sampling error of 3 and a margin of error for changed opinions is 1-1. UVSC adds four new degrees Jon Long News Writer A billboard outside of north Orem advertises Utah Valley State as having 44 degrees and rising. This is an ad pitch for the current number of bachelor's degrees offered; they might have to repaint it. The school that is on a mission to modernize the existing campus, and marching towards university status, has just approved proposals for four more degrees to be added to the schools curriculum. The addition of bachelor's degrees in Information Systems, Theatrical Arts for the Stage and Screen, Theatrical Arts Education and Forensic Science would bring the total number of degrees offered to 48. With the addition of the four new degrees faculty in both theater and information systems departments expect a rise in the number of enrollment to both departments. The increased enrollment will bring more tuition to help pay for the extra cost of the degrees addition would require. Although many of the courses the degrees would require are already offered here at UVSC, but as of now only as electives. The current degrees offered at Utah Valley State have been comprehensive and have attracted a lot of would-be students to the school, such as the nursing and aviation programs already offered to students. Degrees and opportunities that have attracted a significant number of students from other parts of Utah as well as a number of out of state and foreign exchange students to the campus. With the administration's plan to add the proposed Digital Learning Center and revamp the look of Utah Valley State campus, including new buildings and adding to existing ones, the administration is setting its sights on university status. When compared to 15 other schools, Utah Valley State has been doing homework on what it will take to achieve its goal of university status, which would require the school to offer beginning graduate programs. The new degrees under proposal to be offered in the future would broaden the choices offered in the fields of theater and information systems. Current students attending the school would have more incentive to stay and future students looking to study in the new fields would be more attracted to the school. As the school moves forward in these efforts, Utah See DEGREES -A2 Former UVSC instructor admits sexually abusing SLCC student Vegor Pedersen News Writer After nearly two years of delays, a former UVSC instructor finally pleaded guilty to charges of attempted forcible sex abuse in a case involving a Salt lake Community College student. Roger Wilkins, who at the time of his arrest in February 2004 was splitting his time between SLCC and working as an adjunct faculty member in UVSC's American Sign Language program, was facing charges of attempted rape and forcible sodomy in a trial that was supposed to begin this week. Deputy Utah County At torney Donna Kelly said that a trial would no longer be needed because Wilkins was willing to plead guilty to lesser charges. "It's a very good resolution," Kelly said to reporters last week. Last year Wilkins' arrest prompted many on campus to question why a convicted sex offender was allowed to work at UVSC. Twelve years ago Wilkins had been convicted of a misdemeanor involving a young boy, and at the time of his hire his history was available on the Utah Sex Offender Registry. Now that Wilkins has admitted to these amended charges there is a possibility that he will not serve any Courtesy PhotoDept of Corrections Former UVSC instructor Roger Wilkins. time in prison for his crimes. Kelly plans to recommend 60 days of jail time. Wilkins is scheduled to be sentenced in February.